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As
the head instructor of the Yoseikan Dojo located at the Marshall
Township Municipal Building in Wexford, Pennsylvania, Kyoshi
Terry Valentino holds a 7th-degree black belt in Chito-ryu Karate
and a 2nd-degree black belt in Koseido-ryu Jiu-Jitsu.
Kyoshi
Valentino's training began informally under the guidance or his
father Anthony "Val" Valentino who was both a student
of Koseido-ryu Jiu-Jitsu founder Dewey Deavers and a hand-to-hand
combat instructor for the U. S. Navy during World War II. Kyoshi
Valentino's formal training began in 1972 under Hanshi Joseph
Hedderman, 10th-degree black belt in Koseido-ryu Jiu-Jitsu,
9th-degree black belt in Chito-Ryu Karate and head instructor of
the Allegheny County Budo-kai. He has also achieved the Chuden level
in Koseido-ryu Jui Jitsu and in 2004 began the study of Tongbei
Quan ,Xingyi and Bagua Zhang with the Yin Cheng Gong Fa.
Kyoshi
Valentino was the 1986 National Champion of the United States Chito-ryu
Karate Federation, and the co-captain of the U.S. Team in the 1987
Chito-ryu World Championships held in Kumamoto, Japan. He is the
vice chairman emeritus of the United States Chito-ryu Karate Federation
and is a former member of the Dai Nippon Butoku Kai, Japan's oldest
martial arts society. He was awarded the title of Renshi (master
of training) in 2002 and Sensei of the Year Award at the 2002 and
2004 Chito-ryu National Banquets.
Kyoshi
Valentino has also taught self-defense classes to the community
and developed and helped institute a martial arts curriculum for
high school students.
In
addition to his martial arts skills, Kyoshi Valentino holds a Master's
Degree in Counselor Education and has served as a high school counselor
for the past 25 years in the North Allegheny School District. He
is also a former recipient of the North Hills Jaycees Outstanding
Young Educator of the Year Award. Sensei Valentino has dedicated
over 33 years to his martial training.
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